Methodology
How a vendor score is calculated
Every score in this index is computed from the ratings below — nobody edits a vendor’s total directly. If a criterion doesn’t apply to a vendor (for example, a vendor with no public discount code has nothing to score for “code verification”), it’s marked not applicable and excluded from that vendor’s average rather than counted against it.
The scale
| Strong | 2 / 2 points |
| Partial | 1.5 / 2 points |
| Unconfirmed | 1 / 2 points |
| Weak / red flag | 0 / 2 points |
A vendor’s total = the average of its applicable criterion points, scaled to a 0–10 range. Five criteria, equally weighted, unless a criterion is not applicable.
Code verification freshness
Is there a live, publicly-checkable discount code, and how recently was it actually tested?
A code is only worth something if someone re-tests it regularly and keeps the evidence. We score this on whether a real cart test exists, how recent it is, and whether the raw evidence (not just a screenshot) is retained and linked. A vendor with no public code isn't penalized here — it's simply marked not applicable and excluded from that vendor's average.
COA / lab transparency
Does an independent lab sign the Certificate of Analysis, and can a buyer resolve it on the lab's own site?
Independent means a lab with no stake in the result, serving more than one vendor. Resolvable means the report checks out on the lab's own portal, not just as a PDF hosted by the vendor. We also note the lab's credential tier where it's known (ISO 17025 accreditation is a materially stronger claim than a CLIA waiver alone).
Shipping origin / customs exposure
Does the order ship domestically within Canada, or does it cross an international border?
Domestic shipping means the parcel never meets a customs officer — no secondary-inspection risk, no cross-border hold. This is a structural fact about where the vendor ships from, stated per the vendor's own published shipping policy, not a claim about product quality.
Payment reversibility
Does the vendor accept a payment method a buyer can dispute (credit card, Interac) or is it irreversible only (crypto)?
If every payment option is irreversible, the buyer carries all the risk if something goes wrong. We mark this unconfirmed rather than guessing wherever we don't have a checked, current answer — see each vendor's page for what's actually been verified.
Public discount transparency
Is there a current, publicly-stated discount, and is the math correct?
A code that supposedly gives 10% off but only gives 5%, or one that's quietly expired, is worse than no code at all. This criterion checks whether a public discount exists and whether it's been confirmed to apply at the stated rate.
What this rubric deliberately doesn’t do
- It doesn’t score product effects, potency claims, or anything about what a peptide does — that’s outside what a vendor-vetting checklist can verify.
- It doesn’t treat “no public discount code” as a strike against a vendor — plenty of legitimate vendors don’t run one.
- It doesn’t guess at facts we haven’t verified. Where we don’t have a checked, current answer, the criterion is marked unconfirmed rather than assumed either way.
- It isn’t designed around any particular vendor finishing first — see each vendor’s page for the evidence behind its number.